No evidence of animal cruelty at home

A preliminary investigation found no evidence of animal cruelty in an unincorporated San Leandro home where a pit bull attacked and seriously injured a fire battalion chief while the crews were responded Saturday, announced today a sheriff spokesman. .

Sgt. Ray Kelly said the dog's attack on the Alameda County firefighter's battalion chief, John Whiting, took place at 9:37 am on Saturday morning in the property of Maubert Avenue, 16,000, Maubert Avenue.

Kelly stated that the investigators had found no evidence that the 20 dogs at home had been beaten, abused or trained to participate in criminal activities.

The investigators have not yet been able to talk to Whiting because he's still at Stanford Medical Center, where he is being treated for his injuries, according to Kelly.

Aisha Knowles, spokeswoman for Alameda District, said that firefighters who responded to the fire rescued a 15-year-old girl who was apparently hanging from the window of the house at two floors. House.

Whiting was attacked by a pit bull male while he was talking to the girl, Knowles said.

Kelly said that most or all dogs in the house were pit bulls.

He said that there were three adult dogs, nine puppies about eight weeks old and other puppies about six months old.

Kelly said that one of the adult dogs attacked Whiting and that the other two adult dogs died in the fire.

He said that the dog that attacked Whiting was quarantined and will undergo a vicious dog hearing that will determine his future.

Kelly said that the house where the fire is declared is uninhabitable, so the family who lived there is looking for housing and the sheriff's officials are trying to find homes for dogs that have survived l & # 39; fire.

He said that the fact that 20 dogs lived at home "shows why you have to sterilize dogs or else their population will become out of control and you can not give puppies as fast as you get them."

Kelly said that it seems that the pit bull who attacked Whiting took an aggressive stance when he approached the dog and an aggressive state of mind is probably part of the why the dog attacked Whiting.

He said the situation was "a recipe for disaster".

Copyright © 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Reissue, Rebroadcast or any other re-use without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.